


Bus Kids Roommates

by Daisies_and_Roses



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: AOS AU August, AU, Alternate Universe, Car Accidents, Childhood Trauma, Civilian AU, Cuddling & Snuggling, Daisy doesn't have powers, Daisy's past, Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Engagement, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, FitzSimmons - Freeform, FitzSimmons met in college, Flashbacks, Fluff, Foster Care, Foster Family, Friendship, Hugs, Jemma Simmons & Skye | Daisy Johnson Friendship, Jemma is a regular doctor, Leo Fitz & Skye | Daisy Johnson Friendship, Minor Injuries, Multi, Nightmares, Protective Jemma Simmons, Protective Leo Fitz, River's End, Sick Character, Sick Daisy Johnson, Sick Jemma Simmons, Sick Leo Fitz, Sickfic, Skye | Daisy Johnson Needs a Hug, Summer, Third wheel Daisy, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Trauma, light kissing, roommates au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:56:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25759951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daisies_and_Roses/pseuds/Daisies_and_Roses
Summary: AU of the Bus Kids where they're roommates. What crazy adventures await this makeshift-family?
Relationships: Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie/Yo Yo Rodriguez, Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons, Lincoln Campbell/Skye | Daisy Johnson
Comments: 9
Kudos: 57
Collections: AOS AU August 2020





	1. Hike

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy! This is an AU for AoS AU August, where the Bus Kids are civilians and roommates and live in a house together at River's End. Jemma is a regular doctor, Fitz is an engineer, and Daisy is an IT person.

It was a beautiful summer Saturday morning. The humidity was low and there was always a faint breeze that took the edge off the heat. It wasn't quite eight in the morning yet, but the sun's yellow beams shone miraculously into the house. Of course, being the responsible person she was, Jemma was the first one up. She sat at the kitchen table, sipping her morning tea as she scrolled through her emails on her laptop. She smiled when she saw the one from her boss telling her not to bother to come into the clinic until tomorrow. Sure, it was the weekend, but being a general practitioner for the busiest urgent care center in town, it felt like Dr. Simmons was always needed.

But apparently not today!

A big smile on her face, Jemma stood from the kitchen table and strode to the sink, rinsing out her now-empty mug of tea and setting it gently on the top rack of the dishwasher. She was energetic now, hyped from both the caffeine and her newfound free time. As much as she loved her job, she was always jealous when Fitz (her boyfriend) and Daisy (their friend) would be able to stay home over the weekend. It always seemed Daisy was out at some party and Fitz was working on his own little mechanical contraption in the garage.

Jemma didn't know what to do with herself today. She loved nature but she hardly had the time to get out into it anymore.

That's when it hit her: a hike! She didn't care how busy Fitz was or how groggy Daisy would be, she was going to take them on a hike and she was going to do it today.

Paging through the park guide to River's End, Jemma smiled when she found the perfect trail. Ten miles wouldn't be too bad, would it?

Or so she thought.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" Jemma shouted as she banged on Daisy's bedroom door. She knew she had to wake Daisy up first; the girl was _not_ a morning person and took at _least_ twenty minutes just to plant her feet on the ground.

"Mmmph," was the only response. Jemma heard a _clunk_ and a few muffled curses before she finally got a verbal response. "Why?" came Daisy's groggy voice.

Jemma opened the door and smiled when she saw that Daisy was fully submerged in her teal comforter, only a small tuft of blonde hair poking out at the top. "We're going on a hike!"

The lump under the covers shifted and two brown eyes popped out the top. "You and Fitz?"

Jemma smiled, her hands on her hips. "No, 'we' as in you, me, _and_ Fitz!"

Daisy chuckled as she yawned, rolling onto her side and grabbing her newly-cracked phone. She checked the time. "Jemma, it's eight. I was out last night, you can't just- " She sighed. She turned onto her opposite side and pulled the covers clear up to her neck. "Don't you have to go into the clinic today anyway?" she asked a moment later.

"Nope, Becky is giving me the day off. That's why I want to go with you." She tried to act disappointed in hopes of making her best friend feel guilty.

Daisy groaned. "Just go with Fitz. I'm sure he's already up."

"Daisy- "

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

Before the blonde could say another word, Jemma grabbed her hand and rather roughly yanked her out of bed. Daisy landed with a _plop_ on the floor and hissed, "Jemma!" as she scrambled like a mouse to her feet, a scowl on her face.

Jemma smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. "I got you out of bed!"

Daisy rolled her eyes at Jemma's always-chipper mood. She mumbled a few curse words before stumbling toward her closet to pick out her outfit. Once her face was fully buried in the small enclosure, she mumbled, "Fine, I'll go. But you're buying me coffee on the way."

"Deal," Jemma said with a smirk as she left Daisy's room to go wake her boyfriend.

* * *

By half-past eight, all three were settled in Fitz's car, winding through the only neighborhood in River's End. It was miraculous how all three friends managed to get jobs in the little town. Fitz and Jemma had met in college, both Brits coming across the pond to study, and Daisy met Jemma when she happened to be working IT at Jemma's medical school. They often met to help with Jemma's incompetence when it came to any technology, and shared meaningful conversations each time. They became friends and hung out every weekend, not just for the sake of work anymore. One Saturday night, Jemma decided to introduce Daisy to her boyfriend, Fitz, and the two went off for hours discussing technological things. From then on, the trio became best friends and Daisy wanted to make sure she got a job near Jemma once she graduated from med school. She was extremely happy (to say the least) when she got accepted into the IT department at a little office near Jemma's clinic. Fitz got a job in the same town and they found a sizable house to stay in. Of course, Fitz wasn't as happy as Jemma when he found out Daisy would be rooming with them, but Jemma took pity on Daisy for having barely any family and convinced Fitz to let her in. Eventually the man agreed and what do you know, the trio found themselves living together for the past three years. In those years, an engagement ring had landed on Jemma's finger and marriage arrangements had been made. Daisy felt awkward living with an engaged couple, but Jemma always insisted she was welcome. She knew well and good Daisy had no other place to go.

Daisy yawned as Fitz pulled up to the local Starbuck's. There weren't many chain restaurants in River's End but they took pride in their Starbuck's. Daisy made sure she finished her coffee before she spoke a word to either of her friends.

There was a lot of bickering in the front seat as Jemma directed Fitz to the correct nature center. Daisy guessed it was a couple's thing and once again started to feel like the third wheel. She just settled to burying her face in her phone and trying to tune it out.

Once they finally got there, Jemma was the first out of the car, her chipper mood making Fitz and Daisy groan in annoyance. Both hadn't enjoyed being woken up so early, but Fitz always needed to please his fiancée and Daisy didn't exactly have a choice.

"Which trail?" Daisy asked when she walked up to Jemma. The Brit was standing in front of the large trail map, studying it.

"I say Red Maple," Jemma proposed.

"Are you crazy?! That's ten miles!" Daisy exclaimed, her eyebrows raised.

Jemma turned to her friend. "You got somewhere to be?"

Daisy sighed. "No, but- "

"Then let's do it!" Jemma said, cheerfully clapping her hands together.

Daisy's still-tired brain didn't have the capacity to argue, so she dragged her feet along as she followed her two best friends to the trailhead.

The first few miles were rather delightful. The trees offered a cool shade and the breeze made everything so pleasant. Daisy's legs started to get tired but she continued nonetheless. Her phone was no longer getting service so it wasn't like she had any interest in stopping.

"Picture time!" Jemma exclaimed, abruptly stopping in the middle of the trail, making the three bump into each other like dominoes. Fitz scoffed and Daisy rolled her eyes as Jemma attempted to take a selfie of the three of them. She acted like such a mom sometimes.

As she stopped, Daisy started to notice the thin layer of sweat forming on her forehead. "It's a bit hot, don't you think?" she offered, wiping the sweat off.

Fitz nodded in agreement. "It's never too late to turn back, Jemma," he said.

Jemma shook her head, insisting. "There's a beautiful overlook of the ocean at the end. Please, just humor me. This is my day off."

"Could've been spent getting pedicures or going to the beach," Daisy mumbled as she bent down to retie her tennis shoe.

Jemma rolled her eyes. "Stop being so difficult, both of you. You know this is fun."

Fitz plastered on a smile, wanting to make his future wife happy, but Daisy grumbled as they continued on the trail.

After a while, the sun was rising to the point it started to get hot outside. The aforementioned sweat grew tenfold, covering their entire faces and backs. None of the three were comfortable in the August heat, but they kept going, knowing they were well over halfway to the lookout and there was no use turning back at this point. Their conversations had been reduced to near-nothing; all three wanted to save their breath for more important things as the heat began to be unbearable.

"We're almost there!" Jemma said cheerfully as she kept walking. She didn't notice that Fitz and Daisy had stopped to sit on a fallen tree.

"It all just looks the same, Jemma," Fitz muttered as he looked up. The sun was already almost straight-up, telling him that it was probably ten or eleven. They'd been walking for at least two hours already and there'd been nothing but trees and foliage.

"We've gotten this far!" the doctor cried as she turned to look at her favorite people in the world. She rested her hands on the back of her head, realizing she, too, needed to take a breather.

"Let's get back already," Daisy mumbled, exasperated as she pulled her shirttail up to wipe her soaked face.

"I- " Jemma began.

" _Please_ , Jemma," Fitz insisted. He motioned to Daisy. "She's about ready to pass out, and we've already finished our water. Come on, it's been fun while it lasted. We can stop at the beach if you want on our way back."

Jemma sighed, but nodded in agreement as she reached down to help her fiancé to his feet. She planted a light kiss on his cheek before starting in the direction they'd came. Fitz turned to make sure Daisy was following them. Satisfied, he turned back around and focused on his breathing and his steps as he tried to make it through the rest of the hike. He felt lightheaded and parched, but decided not to complain because he knew both girls felt the same way. He just hoped he could make it to the end.

An hour after deciding to turn around, Daisy muttered, "I'm getting hungry."

Always the doctor, Jemma asked, "Did you eat breakfast?"

"Does the coffee count?" came Daisy's response.

" _Daisy_."

"Jemma, _please_. I can take care of myself."

Another half hour passed.

"I think I'm going to take a break," Daisy mumbled as she broke away from the group, not even caring where she sat as she plopped on a spot right off the trail. She was starving her head off and it wasn't making it easy for her to walk that much. She pulled a leg up to her chest, closing her eyes and hugging it as she tried to will away the hunger she was feeling. She heard a small thump and a slightly larger one follow, and knew immediately that Jemma and Fitz had joined her on the ground.

She felt a gentle hand rubbing her back. "I'm sorry I took you on this trail. It was a bad idea," Jemma admitted.

Fitz scoffed. "Ya think?!"

Jemma sighed, pulling her hand away from Daisy and hugging her knees. "I'm sorry, I just wanted some quality time on my day off. I just- I felt like a bad friend for always working these days and wanted to make it up to you guys."

Daisy sighed, finally opening her eyes to look at Jemma. She patted her friend's hand. "Look, Jemma, this _has_ been fun. We've been spending time together, that's what counts."

Jemma nodded, smiling a tiny bit as she turned to check the time on her phone. "Gosh, it's nearly lunchtime. No wonder you're hungry."

Daisy scoffed and nodded, burying her face in her knees. She tried to stop her stomach from audibly grumbling but it was no use.

After a few minutes of catching her breath, Jemma stood up again and decided to continue. "Come on," she said to Fitz and Daisy. Fitz stood up but Daisy didn't have near as much luck. She managed to get to her feet but her legs gave out and she started to sway. Luckily, Fitz caught her before she landed on the ground.

"Woah, there," he said as he pushed her back upright. He kept a hold on her shoulder as Jemma came to his side, her eyebrows knitted with concern as her eyes trailed up and down Daisy's face.

"I'm fine," Daisy said. "Just a little shaky. I'm hungry." She pushed away from Fitz and continued walking. Jemma shared a look with her fiancé before continuing on the trail.

Along the way, there were just a few mishaps. Fitz tripped over a root and twisted his ankle, so he had to hobble, cursing under his breath, the rest of the way. Jemma scraped up her leg on a thornbush and Daisy tripped and cut her chin open on a rock. Luckily, Jemma had some tissues in her pocket and they were able to stop the bleeding.

After what felt like an eternity, the trio finally saw the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. The trailhead was in sight.

"Oh, thank God," Daisy muttered, her legs always on the verge of giving out, her chin throbbing, and the deep ache of hunger ever-so-present in her stomach. She raced to the car, dumping herself into the backseat and letting out a sigh of relief as she finally got a proper break. She closed her eyes as she felt the car dip when her friends entered the vehicle. She didn't even notice that Jemma was driving, what with Fitz's injured ankle.

"I'm driving us to my clinic," Jemma declared as she started the car, then shifted the gears out of park.

"We're fine," Fitz mumbled.

"No, Leopold, you need an x-ray and ice and Daisy might need stitches. Besides, there's free water in the minifridge. I did this to us, and I'm going to fix it."

"Jemma, you don't need to feel guilty," Daisy mumbled, her eyes still closed.

"I do, so I'm going to make up for it."

Daisy sighed, defeated and Fitz glared at his fiancée. He hated when she blamed herself for things. He knew she was well-meaning in taking them on a hike; hell, she'd had no idea it'd go so wrong.

"Can we at least get food on the way?" came Daisy's voice after a few minutes, breaking the silence.

"Of course," Jemma replied. "We can go to Jamie's Diner."

Jemma picked up their takeout order from the diner; Daisy'd specifically requested a burger, milkshake, and three servings of fries, all for herself. The girl managed to finish the entire meal before they arrived at the clinic. Food had never felt so good in her stomach.

Within the hour, they were all patched up and headed home. Daisy had passed out in the backseat, her lunch placing her in a food-coma. Jemma wondered how much she _really_ slept; personally, Jemma preferred to make the most out of every day and found naps to waste them. But to each her own, she supposed.

Once they got home, Jemma helped Fitz to their bedroom, tucking all the pillows around him so he was comfortably sitting up in the bed. She brought him his ice-pack and planted a kiss on his forehead before exiting the bedroom to check on Daisy. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw her friend sprawled out on her own bed, scrolling through her phone. Satisfied, Jemma went back to her computer for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

That evening, Jemma cooked grilled chicken caesar salad for dinner.

"How was your nap?" Jemma asked. She and Daisy were standing at the counter, chopping the chicken up together and tossing it into the salad bowl with the lettuce.

Daisy smirked. "Good. Like, the best one I've ever had."

Jemma chuckled. "I'm glad. Look, Daisy, I'm sorry..."

"Jemma, _please_ stop apologizing." She laughed as she threw a strip into the bowl. "Despite how _traumatic_ it was, the hike was fun. It was an adventure."

"That's for sure," Jemma quipped. The two laughed as they thought about all that had happened on the trip. Traumatic, sure, but they'd bonded and they'd always have a funny story to remember and to tell everyone. That was worth it in itself.

"Dinner's ready!" Jemma hollered once they were finished cutting the chicken, loud enough for Fitz to hear. Jemma tossed the salad as Fitz came into the kitchen and seated himself at the table, setting his leg on the spare chair to elevate his sprained ankle. Daisy joined him at the chair next to him.

The dinner was relatively quiet. All three diners were exceptionally hungry, so that didn't exactly leave room for much talking. Eventually, Fitz spoke up: "So where to on your next day off?"

Everyone's laughs illuminated the kitchen. "I think, the beach," Jemma replied, a huge smile on her face.

Daisy smiled and nodded in agreement. "Wise choice, Jemma, wise choice."

Fitz shook his head and chuckled. "I'm never taking a hike _again_."


	2. Sunset at the Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy is frustrated after some job issues, so Fitz decides to take her and Jemma to the beach to watch the sunset in hopes of cheering her up. Does it work?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So glad you all wanted more!

"Maybe reconsider next time you yell at the interns!" screamed Mr. Burrows, Daisy's boss. He had brought her into his office; she'd told off a bunch of interns when they asked for her computer help and he was not happy with her.

"They were being snotty," Daisy mumbled under her breath. She scoffed. "And sexist."

"I don't care. They needed your help and you berated them."

"Burrows- "

"No, Daisy, I'm putting you on unpaid leave until Wednesday. Cool yourself down and reconsider some of your..." He waved his hands around mockingly. "...actions."

Daisy huffed and abruptly stood from the chair. "Whatever," she mumbled when she grabbed her purse and left the office. Burrows sighed and shook his head. He regretted hiring Daisy from the start, but her computer skills were so freakishly good he couldn't resist. He'd have to just learn to deal with her untamed personality.

On her way home, Daisy couldn't stop thinking about how angry she was at those stupid, spoiled interns. They'd laughed at her and refused to listen to her technological advice, saying girls know nothing about computers. Every single one of those little boys had grown up with everything given to them, the spoiled, bratty little freaks. Of _course_ Daisy was going to tell them off.

She was so frustrated that when a driver made her angry she cursed them out and honked furiously. If someone had been riding in the car with her, they'd surely see the steam coming off her furious face.

Stupid Mr. Burrows, stupid interns, stupid everything!

When she got home, Daisy nearly crashed her car into the side of the garage. Cursing once more, she managed to park somewhat acceptably and turned off the car, yanking the keys out of the ignition and shoving them into her purse before jumping out of the car, slamming the door behind her. She rushed inside, jamming the keys into the backdoor lock so hard she might as well have bent them. She stormed inside, tossing her keys into the basket and throwing her purse onto the kitchen counter.

Fitz had gotten home early, and he was sitting at the couch. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, acknowledging her flaming demeanor.

Daisy shook her head at him and made her way to her room and jumped straight onto her bed, face-down. She stayed there for a while, just cooling down as she screamed into her mattress. She barely even heard the knock on her door.

"Who is it..." she mumbled.

"It's Fitz," came the response.

Daisy groaned and rolled onto her back, rubbing her puffy eyes. She guessed she hadn't noticed her tears. "Come in," she mumbled.

Fitz opened the door, a look of pity on his face when he saw Daisy had been crying. He leaned against the doorway. "What's up?"

Daisy sighed and sat up, pushing her back against the bedframe. She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. "I got put on unpaid leave for yelling at the interns."

"Again?!"

Daisy groaned, picking up her pillow and smashing her face into it. "Yes, _again_ ," was her muffled response.

Fitz sighed, approaching her bed and sitting next to her. "What bullcrap did they say this time?"

Daisy emerged from her pillow and looked up at Fitz, her eyes flushed with a twinge of guilt. "They were making fun of my computer skills and I got pissed off at them. Probably _too_ pissed."

"Brats," Fitz mumbled as he looked down at his socked feet. After a moment, he looked back at his friend. "Hey, they probably deserved it. And look on the bright side, Daisy, you have a few days off."

Daisy sighed and nodded, biting her lip as she continued to play with the edge of her shirt.

Fitz stood from the bed, adjusting his shirt to remove the wrinkles. "Why don't we go to the beach tonight for sunset? It's Friday, after all, and that'll help cheer you up."

Daisy half-smiled. "Sounds good. Thanks, Fitz."

He grinned and nodded. "Of course. I'll let Jemma know."

* * *

Once she got home from work, Jemma went straight to Daisy's room. She knocked on the door. "How are you doing, Dais?" she asked.

"Good," Daisy replied. She was watching TV while scrolling through her phone, something she did when she _really_ wanted to take her mind off something.

"We're leaving in twenty," Jemma told her before leaving to get ready herself.

Sighing, Daisy turned off the TV, standing from the bed and still looking at her phone as she headed to her dresser, mindlessly pulling out a pair of running shorts and a t-shirt. She didn't feel like swimming so why wear a suit? She pulled her hair into a ponytail and grabbed her sunglasses, setting them on her head. She left her room, finding her flip flops in the front closet and sliding them onto her feet.

"You're not going to swim?" Fitz asked when they ran into each other on their way to the car.

Daisy shook her head. "Why would I?" She chuckled when she noticed the babyish floral swim trunks he was wearing.

"What?!" he hissed, offended.

Daisy continued to laugh as she hopped into the car. "I'll drive."

Fitz just rolled his eyes and dragged himself into the passenger seat. Daisy turned on the car and started the air conditioner while Fitz played with the radio.

"What kind of crap channel is _that_?!" Daisy hissed, looking up from her phone at the radio. "Ninety-nine point seven? Nuh-uh..." She reached toward the radio to change the channel but Fitz quite literally slapped her hand to stop her. "The hell?!" Daisy snapped, scowling.

Fitz just smiled nonchalantly and nodded his head to the music Daisy found repulsing. "I love this song."

"Oh, whatever," Daisy muttered as she went back to scrolling through her phone.

Five minutes passed. "How long is Jemma going to _take_?!" Fitz muttered, looking up at the door in anticipation.

"Maybe she's scared she'll ruin this outing like she did the last one."

Fitz rolled his eyes, chuckling. "My ankle's healed by now."

"Yeah, and I'll always have a scar on my chin thanks to her. I also nearly died on that stupid trail..."

"We all did."

"It's her fault."

"That, it is."

Finally, Jemma came out of the house, dressed in a blue and white-striped one-piece. A pink towel was wrapped around her waist and she carried a huge beach bag on her shoulder.

"Leave it to Jem to be overprepared," Daisy commented as Jemma opened the trunk, tossing the bag in.

"Hi!" she said cheerfully as she hopped into the backseat.

"Jemma! We were just talking about you!" Daisy said with mock-cheer, smirking at Fitz.

"I hope it was positive," Jemma said nonchalantly as she buckled her seatbelt. Daisy just chuckled as she started the car, pulling out of the driveway.

* * *

Once they got to the beach, Jemma was the first one out of the car, grabbing her enormous beach bag (it had to be bigger than she was) and finding the perfect spot on the sand. The beach was less crowded than it was in the afternoons, but still, a substantial amount of summer vacationers spotted the beach, all there to watch the sunset. Daisy and Fitz followed Jemma to the spot and helped her lay down the picnic blanket. Daisy settled onto the blanket while Fitz threw off his t-shirt, heading straight for the water.

Daisy yawned as she slid her sunglasses onto her eyes. She felt a dip in the blanket next to her. She turned to see Jemma sitting down, taking a bottle of sunscreen out of the bag and started to smother it onto her own arms.

"Jemma, the sun is going away. I don't think you need- "

"Sunscreen is crucial in preventing skin cancer as you age," Jemma lectured, rubbing the sunblock on her legs. Daisy sighed, turning away from Jemma to look back at the sky, which, despite being at least an hour from sunset, was already forming pink and orange clouds.

Daisy heard a clicking noise, telling her Jemma had closed the sunscreen bottle. "Want some?" Jemma asked.

Daisy shook her head. "No thanks."

Sighing, Jemma set the bottle back in the bag and leaned back on the blanket, resting on her palms.

Daisy bit her lip. She and Jemma weren't usually this quiet with each other.

"You want to tell me what happened today at work?"

"Jemma, it's- "

"Daisy, you can tell me."

Daisy sighed, closing her eyes for a second before pulling her legs in and hugging her knees. "I just lost my temper."

"Daisy, not ag- "

"Yes, _again_ , and I'm not proud of it."

Jemma sighed, turning to look at her best friend. Daisy refused to make eye contact with her, which was understandable, considering how disappointed she was with herself. She reached up and gently touched Daisy's knee, offering some of her comfort.

"Daisy, forgive yourself. It's okay. It's going to be fine," she told her.

Daisy swallowed, unable to form a response.

After a few silent moments, the girls were interrupted by a deep male voice coming from what felt like ten feet in the air. "Hey, I think your bud's wanting you to swim with him," he said.

Jemma looked up to see a tall, muscular man with a bald head and a short beard. An average-sized woman, presumably his partner, stood next to him, her arm around his waist. Jemma raised her eyebrows, unsure of what the man was saying, and he motioned to the water. Sure enough, Fitz was standing, his hands cupped around his mouth, shouting.

"Ah, thank you. I must not have noticed him," Jemma said, smiling as she stood, throwing her towel on the blanket before heading toward the ocean to join her fiancé.

Upon noticing her down expression, the woman smiled down at Daisy. "Aren't you going to join them?"

Daisy raised her eyebrows, surprised the couple was still standing there. She plastered on a fake smile, shaking her head. "No, I'm good, thanks."

The woman's expression softened. "Feel left out?"

Daisy let out a huff and chuckled. "I assure you I'm fine."

The man and woman looked at each other before the woman nodded at her boyfriend. He headed toward the water to swim while the woman walked closer to Daisy. "May I?" she asked.

Daisy nodded, chuckling. "Sure, why not?"

The woman seated herself on the blanket where Jemma had been just moments before. "So, what's your name?" she asked Daisy.

"Daisy," she replied, turning to make eye contact. "Daisy Johnson."

"Ahh, nice to meet you. I'm Elena," she said, holding out her hand for Daisy to shake it.

Daisy sighed, nodding her head at the ocean. "Is that your boyfriend?" she asked.

Elena chuckled and nodded. "Yes. It seems he's getting acquainted with your friends."

Daisy looked to the water, where the man was talking with Fitz. One of them splashed Jemma, and she got so mad she stormed out of the water.

"He likes to be called Mack, by the way," Elena told Daisy as she watched Jemma walk up to them.

Jemma smiled at her new visitor. "Hey there," she said cheerfully, grabbing her towel and drying off a bit.

"Jemma, this is Elena," Daisy said, smiling at her best friend.

Jemma nodded. "Mack told me, before he convinced Fitz to splash the water on my freshly-washed hair..." She narrowed her eyes, staring at her fiancé and his new friend swimming in the water.

Elena chuckled. "Sorry about that. He can be a bit...childish sometimes."

"No kidding," Jemma quipped, scoffing. "Fitz acts like he's twelve half the time."

Daisy laughed. "Oh, come on, Jemma, be nice to him."

Jemma plastered a fake smile and held up her hand, pointing to the engagement ring on her finger. "I've got to be."

Elena chuckled. "Congrats, though."

Jemma smiled a real smile this time. "Thank you." She laid her towel on the sand and seated herself next to Daisy.

"So Elena," Daisy began, turning to her new friend. "Where are you from?"

"Mack's from around here and he brings me here for the summer. We met in college."

"Oh, really? I met Fitz in college!" Jemma said excitedly. The women continued to discuss their love lives as Daisy sat there, feeling awkward. She'd been single for most of her life, save from a high school boyfriend or two. But, being a foster kid, she never stayed in one place long enough to keep a good relationship going. She'd long accepted she would never find love, and while she loved Fitz and Jemma like her siblings, she always felt an emptiness in her heart. A void where she'd never had family, a void where the love of her life should be, a void where any ounce of self-love should be.

"Daisy?" came Jemma's soft voice. Daisy snapped out of her reverie and raised her eyebrows, looking to her best friend. Jemma smiled gently. "Where'd you go there?"

Daisy opened her mouth to respond and turned to see if Elena was still here. She closed her mouth. "Nowhere. It's cool."

Jemma narrowed her eyes, skeptical, but went back to talking to Elena anyway.

After a while, the sun was starting to set, and Mack and Fitz came out of the water, coming to sit with the girls. Jemma and Fitz started to kiss and Mack and Elena followed suit.

Feeling left out, as soon as the sun had gone down, Daisy stood from the blanket, dusting the sand off herself. "I'm going to head to the car," she told Jemma before removing her sunglasses and attaching them to the collar of her shirt. She didn't even look back on her way to the car, sliding in and slamming her forehead onto the steering wheel. She groaned, frustrated. She was angry, she was lonely, and she wanted to punch something so bad. First she was a third wheel, now a fifth?! God, her life kept getting sadder and sadder.

She wished she could just go home right then and there, but she didn't want to make Fitz and Jemma walk home. She didn't even look up to check and see if they were coming, not wanting to make eye contact with them. So she kept her face buried in the wheel.

When the passenger door clicked open and she felt Fitz get inside the car, Daisy continued not to look up, not even when she heard Jemma get into the car as well.

"Daisy..." Jemma started. Daisy shook her head and lifted her head up, just to start the car and shift it into the correct gear.

The car ride home was silent. Fitz and Jemma didn't want to upset Daisy more than she already was.

When they got home, Fitz was the first one out of the car, and he headed straight inside to get the first shower. Daisy tried to get out but before she could, Jemma reached forward and grabbed her arm.

Daisy shut her eyes and sighed. "Jemma..."

"Daisy, I'm sorry."

"About what?"

It was Jemma's turn to sigh. "I should've acknowledged you more..."

"Jemma, I'm not a child. You don't need to give me special attention."

"But this trip was supposed to be all about cheering you up, and we did the exact opposite of that." Jemma knitted her eyebrows, gently caressing Daisy's arm.

"Jemma, we met some great new friends and I got to see a pretty sunset. It's fine. I'm fine." Before Jemma could stop her, she opened the door and hopped out.

"But you're not."

Daisy sighed and turned around. Seeing the guilty, caring, and concerned look in Jemma's eyes was too much for her to handle. The tears came pouring out then and she felt herself being pulled into Jemma's embrace. She buried her face in Jemma's shoulder and let the tears keep coming as her best friend shushed her gently and rubbed her back.

After a while, Jemma pulled away to look at Daisy's face. Her eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were sodden with tears. Daisy smiled a half-smile at Jemma. "Thank you, Jem, I...I needed that."

"Of course," Jemma said, smiling warmly at her as she gently wiped the tears from Daisy's face with the corner of a clean beach towel.

Smiling, Daisy nodded to thank her and turned to go inside the house.

As she laid in her bed that night, Daisy thought about what she was going to do in her days off. One thing was for sure; she'd make sure her best friends were properly thanked.

They were family and they'd always be there for her. She had to make it known she'd always be there for them, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please give me suggestions for what you might like to see next ;)


	3. Daisy's Last Foster Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy has a nightmare and remembers a traumatic event from her past. Luckily, she has Jemma and Fitz there to comfort her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW!!: Vehicle crash and death
> 
> Please note: Daisy is not necessarily an Inhuman in this story, so her birth name is known and she was never Mary Sue Poots :)

The year was 2004. Sixteen-year-old Daisy was living with a foster family, the Reynolds, whom she'd been living with for six months. They'd been nicer to her than any previous foster family, and that was saying something; Daisy'd had a _lot_ of foster parents in her time. The Reynolds, they were... _different_. They had a seventeen-year-old daughter named Angela, giving Daisy one of her first sisters who was at least remotely close to her age. She and Angela drove home from school together, went to the mall on the weekends, and shared a room. Angela was nicer than any of the older girls at St. Agnes, and Daisy had never been so grateful for a person in her life.

Mrs. Reynolds was a caring mother. She baked a cake for Daisy's sixteenth birthday and bought her the Nike shoes she'd always been hoping for. She gave out seemingly endless hugs, the best of which Daisy experienced after a particularly difficult day at school. She helped Daisy and Angela study for their exams, she gave them lunch money, and most importantly, she gave Daisy love. Real, motherly love.

But her favorite person in the family was Mr. Reynolds, Dave, Angela's dad. He was the best listener and advice-giver; Daisy learned more from him than any foster parent she'd ever had. He was the most prominent role-model in her life, and remains that person to this day. He was always there for her, always willing to offer her compassion and love, and Daisy was more grateful to have him in her life than one can comprehend.

One chilly November Sunday, Dave asked his daughters if they wanted to drive to the hardware store with him. Of course, Angela declined, being a teenage girl who cared more about her left toenail than a shop stocked with paint, screwdrivers, and other tools she couldn't name, but Daisy accepted, taking any opportunity to spend time with her foster father. From experience, she knew foster families hardly lasted long enough to fulfill one's heartful desires, so she wanted to savor every moment with this family before the inevitable happened.

Daisy hopped into the passenger seat, buckling her seatbelt as Dave started the car. He smiled at Daisy kindly before pulling out of the garage, wrapping around the little cul-de-sac before making his way down the neighborhood road.

"So, how was school on Friday?" he asked her, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Good," Daisy replied, hardly able to contain her giddy smile. "I passed my Trig quiz."

"Ah, Trig. My least favorite subject when I was your age."

Daisy chuckled. "It's a bit difficult, isn't it?"

He smiled, turning to look at Daisy for a second before nodding. "Sin, cos, tan, what...I can't even remember the rest." He smirked and laughed to himself. "Well, kudos to you for passing that quiz. I probably couldn't have, had I been in your position."

Daisy smiled and nodded, folding her hands in her lap. She was wearing one of Angela's red flannels, but it was a bit too long in the sleeves, so Daisy cut holes near the cuffs to poke her thumbs through. Angela wasn't too happy, but she decided just to let Daisy keep the shirt, making it a win-win for the younger girl.

Daisy sighed. "So, what are you getting at the store?"

"Uh..." He scratched his head with one hand, keeping the other on the wheel. "I was thinking I could get some rings to finally fix that shower curtain in you and Angela's bathroom."

Daisy's heart nearly skipped a beat upon hearing something being referred to as _hers_. That wasn't something that happened often to her. A bit flustered, Daisy had to blink a few times before responding: "Oh, nice! Thanks."

Dave nodded.

After a few minutes, it was quiet and tense. Daisy felt at-ease, but clearly, Dave had something on his mind.

He turned to his foster daughter. "Daisy?"

Daisy redirected her attention from her nails to her foster dad. "Yeah?"

He swallowed, turning back to the road. "You know, I'm glad Angela didn't want to go with us. I...We...My wife and I have been meaning to discuss something with you."

Daisy's heartbeat quickened. "Okay..."

Dave reached up to pull at the collar of his polo shirt, nervous. "I promise, you're not in trouble, kiddo." He brought both hands back to the wheel before turning to look at Daisy, a smile on his face. "We were thinking, what with how much fun Angela has had with you and how happy you seem to be with us, that maybe...maybe it would be a good choice to adopt you as our own, officially."

The biggest smile she'd ever had in her life flashed across Daisy's face and she had to bite her cheek to stop herself from crying out with excitement. She didn't know what to say.

A big smile on his face, too, Dave reached over to gently pat Daisy's shoulder. "We love you, kiddo. We'd be so happy to have you as a part of our family."

Daisy could feel a tear lurking in her eye. Still smiling, the tears began to pour out then as she laughed with pure joy. Dave had to turn and smile at her a few times. He couldn't resist; Daisy was just too damn happy.

Once she finally gathered her bearings enough to speak, Daisy said, her voice breaking only once, "Th-Thank you so much, I...I don't know what to say."

The man shook his head. "No need to say anything. We love you as our own and we're more than happy to take you in for good. We'll help pay for your college, Angela can show you around the..."

At some point the man's words became jumbled in Daisy's ears, reduced to background noise. The only thing Daisy could think about was that she was going to have a home. She was going to have a family. A real family! How lucky _was_ she?!

Daisy's face radiated happiness as she roamed the hardware store, holding the list of items Dave needed her to find. But she could barely focus on mindless lightbulbs and nails. She was being adopted. _ADOPTED!_

Despite being well into her teenage years, Daisy nearly skipped back to the car, swinging the plastic shopping back around on her finger.

"Be careful with that," Dave told her, feeling like he was talking to a five-year-old rather than a sixteen-year-old. Nonetheless, he mirrored Daisy's happiness, happy to take her in as his own.

On the expressway on the way home, the pair blasted music on the radio and danced to it together, singing and laughing as they pictured themselves being a family for the rest of their lives. Daisy imagined coming home from her apartment in New York City for the holidays and spending time with her family. She imagined going to big family reunions with her kids and watching them play with Angela's kids and all their cousins.

She was a part of something bigger. Daisy was part of a real, kind, loving, and caring family. She was now a sister, a daughter, a cousin...the possibilities were endless.

Oh, how she wished she'd seen the semi coming straight at them.

Dave tried to swerve out of the way but it was no use. The semi ran straight into the hood of the car, lurching its occupants forward and into the airbags. The last thing Daisy remembered was feeling an intense jerking sensation and a sharp pain in her nose and face, then everything faded to black.

When she awoke, it couldn't have been more than a few minutes after she was knocked out. For a moment, she wanted to slip back into the darkness, until she remembered what happened. She opened her eyes and they widened upon seeing the airbag. She planted her hands on the console, pushing herself away from it slowly, wincing at the pain in her nose. She turned to her left and gasped when she saw Dave unconscious, his head laying back against the headrest, his mouth open as he slept. A stream of blood trickled down the side of his face from his head.

Oh God, Daisy hoped he was sleeping.

Her heart racing, she tried to unbuckle her seatbelt, to no avail. Cursing under her breath, Daisy frantically threw open the glove compartment, grabbing anything sharp she could find. She didn't, but she found a lighter. Quickly, she burned the strap of the seatbelt until it broke. She climbed out of the belt, leaning over to gently shake her foster dad.

"Mr. Reynolds!" she said, terrified that he might be dead. Her heart continuing to race, she shook him a bit harder. "MR. REYNOLDS!"

Tears pouring down her cheeks, Daisy continued to frantically shake him to try to get him to wake up.

"DAVE!" she screamed, hoping his first name might wake him. The tears spilled out as she got no reaction from him. She shook him, screaming in frustration as her eyes began to blur. "Dad..." she whispered as she rested her forehead on his shoulder, hugging him as she let the tears spill.

As if some miracle had been worked, in a few minutes, Dave began to stir. He opened his eyes, remembering. "Daisy..." he said. The girl lifted her head up, her puffy eyes wide with hope. The man groaned as he tried to sit up, but the girl was hindering his ability to do so.

Noticing this, Daisy leaned back, a bit embarrassed.

Dave started to look around, inspecting their current predicament. The semi was still smashed up against the hood of their car. Its driver was awake but he seemed to be struggling to exit his vehicle. Dave looked down at the gauges of his car and his eyes widened with fear. He reached into his pocket, grabbing his flip-phone and handing it to Daisy. "Daisy, I need you to get out of this car and help the truck driver out, then run as far from the road as you can. Call 911," he instructed.

"Mr. Reynolds..."

"I'm going to try to get out as best I can but Daisy, this car is way too hot and it's going to blow. You need to get out of here."

Daisy's voice trembled as she spoke: "I'm not leaving without you."

Dave locked eyes with his foster daughter, his soon-to-be _daughter_ daughter. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Daisy, you _have_ to."

Knitting her eyebrows, Daisy sobbed as she looked down at the shaky hand holding the little phone. She looked up at the man who was the closest to a father anyone had gotten for her.

Dave smiled weakly at Daisy, cupping her cheek and gently rubbing her temple with his thumb. "I love you, Daisy. Please, get out before it blows. Everything is going to be okay."

"No..." Daisy said as her lip quivered.

"NOW!" he shouted sternly.

Daisy snapped out of it and reached behind her to open the mangled door. When she pushed it out, the entire door fell off its hinges, making a scraping noise as the metal hit the pavement below. Daisy jumped out of the car, walking a few steps before turning to look at Mr. Reynolds. A tear trickled down her face as he smiled and nodded at her, as if reminding her everything would be alright.

Remembering her job, Daisy shoved Dave's phone into her jeans pocket and rushed to the semi, climbing up on its footstep and fiddling with the door handle. The driver inside made eye contact with her and nodded, pushing on the door as she pulled. The pair managed to get it open with both of them working.

"Come on, we have to get out of here," Daisy said to the man, motioning for him to follow her as she jumped down from the truck, him following. They carefully made their way to the ditch on the side of the highway, backing as far away from the road as they could before they ran into the fence-wall.

Unable to function much as she watched her foster dad struggle to get out of the car, Daisy handed the phone to the truck driver and he started to call 911. Daisy didn't even hear his voice. All she could do was focus on Mr. Reynolds. On Dave. On her _dad_.

Just as she thought he was going to make it out, a loud noise started to sound and the car went up in flames. Daisy screamed in fear and before she could watch the rest, she felt someone's arms around her as he tackled her to the ground, protecting her from any flying shrapnel or debris.

Daisy's ears were ringing as she squirmed against the man holding her, screaming at him to move. Knowing she was now safe, the truck driver let go of her. The girl sat up, screaming in despair when she saw that the car was gone. Dave was _gone_.

"NO!" Daisy screamed, her voice breaking as the tears and sobs wracked her body. "DAD!"

* * *

**_One week later_ **

Daisy laid in her bed in the room she shared with Angela, the covers clear up to her neck. She wore the same oversized hoodie (it had been Dave's) and sweatpants she'd worn since she'd gotten home from the hospital.

Daisy refused to go to school or get out of bed. She refused to eat more than one meal a day and only got up to shower every few days. Mrs. Reynolds brought her a magazine or two, hoping she'd at least do _something_ other than cry to herself, but it was no use.

One night when Angela got home from school, she was in an extra bad mood. Sitting on her own bed across from Daisy's to rip off her shoes, she huffed angrily.

Daisy turned to look at Angela, furrowing her brow. "What's the matter with _you_?!"

Angela set her jaw, rolling her eyes. "I could say the same thing about you. You're moping around and making this all about yourself. You're not the one who lost a dad!"

Daisy narrowed her eyes at her. "You take that back."

"No, Daisy, I lost my dad, my _real_ , actual dad and you lost what, a friend?! He's not your dad just as much as I'm not your sister!"

Daisy's chest heaved with both anger and hurt. "Ang- "

"You've made this whole experience _so_ much worse for _all_ of us! Hell, he probably wouldn't have died had you not been in the car with him, distracting him!"

Tears started to form in Daisy's eyes and she ripped the covers off her legs, getting out of bed and storming toward her foster sister.

"Oh wow, she gets out of bed!" Angela mocked.

Daisy clenched her teeth and brought her fist around, swinging it into Angela's tender jaw. Angela hissed, her head jerking to the side.

Regret flooding her system, Daisy backed away, her lip quivering as the tears started to pour. Angela grabbed her sore chin, wincing.

"GET OUT!" the older girl screamed, vigorously pointing to her bedroom door. "NOW!"

Her breathing unsteady, Daisy stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her. She rushed into the bathroom and locked the door behind her, stepping into the shower stall and sliding down the wall, pulling her knees to her chest as she buried her face and cried.

It could have been half an hour, it could have been all night, but Daisy heard someone knock on the door.

Pulling the hood fully over her eyes, Daisy mumbled, "Get away."

"Daisy..." the voice began. Daisy could tell it belonged to her foster mother.

The girl sighed, extending her legs in the tub to stretch them out. They ached, and so did her back from sitting for too long. She stood, using the side of the tub for support, and leaned forward to unlock the door. Sitting on the edge of the tub, she heard the door open from behind her and felt the presence of the woman enter the room, seating herself on the edge of the tub next to Daisy.

"I'm sorry Angela yelled at you," she said after a minute.

Daisy let out a deep sigh, rubbing her face with her palms. "I'm sorry for punching her."

"Hey," Mrs. Reynolds whispered, wrapping her arms around the teen and pulling her in for a hug. "It's okay. We both forgive you," she whispered, rubbing the girl's back.

After a few minutes of the woman comforting Daisy, the girl pulled away, feeling like she didn't deserve the contact anymore. "Did you come here to tell me something?" she asked weakly.

Mrs. Reynolds sighed. "Actually, yes."

Daisy closed her eyes, feeling she had an idea as to what was coming.

"Daisy, I...assume Dave told you."

"Yeah, he told me about the adoption."

The woman sighed, rubbing her eye. "I'm so sorry, Daisy, but...we can't do that anymore."

"I know," Daisy whispered.

"You do?"

Daisy did a single-shoulder shrug. "It's okay. I get it."

"It's not that we don't love you, sweetie, it's just that in order to adopt a child you have to be married and...Daisy, I..." The woman began to cry in spite of herself. "Quite frankly, Daisy, you remind me of him every day. He loved you more than anyone else and I...I..."

"I get it," Daisy said, standing up and brushing her arms off. "I'll go pack up. I'm assuming the social worker will pick me up after school tomorrow?" Daisy knew the drill by now.

Mrs. Reynolds nodded, wiping a tear from her own eye.

Daisy nodded and left the little bathroom, heading to the bedroom where she'd been the happiest in the past six months.

* * *

The next morning as Daisy was packing up her backpack for school, she found a little envelope with a piece of paper inside. It was addressed to "Daisy Johnson" in Mrs. Reynold's handwriting. She shoved it into her front pocket, deciding to save it for later.

After school, Daisy did not meet her social worker in the parking lot like she was told. There was no way she'd go back to St. Agnes and put up with yet another foster family. She wouldn't be able to handle that.

She was old enough to take care of herself by now. She could drive now, and sure, it was a learner's permit, but who cared? If she ever got caught by a cop she'd be brought back to a foster home before they'd even care about her driving on her own.

Daisy left from the back exit of the school and just kept walking. She kept going, carrying all the possessions she'd ever owned in that backpack and wearing the now-charred flannel shirt that had once belonged to Angela.

Maybe one memento was enough.

Once she got tired, Daisy decided to take a break at the public bus stop. Remembering suddenly, she reached into her front pocket and took out the envelope, ripping it open and taking the piece of paper out. She unfolded the paper and nearly cried at what was inside.

It was an invoice "handing her the keys" to a bank account. At the top, it read, in Mrs. Reynold's handwriting, "For college".

The account had enough in it to pay for all four years of college at any decent school.

Tears of happiness and gratefulness poured from her eyes. Daisy smiled and hugged the paper to her chest, mentally promising herself to cherish it forever and always.

Over the next few years, Daisy got a job, finished high school (staying in the shadows enough not to get noticed by the foster system), made enough money for room and board, and applied to college. Sure, she knew someone at the college would notice her identity and find out she was an escaped foster kid, but by then she was already a legal adult and it no longer mattered.

After college, she got a job and years later, met Jemma, and her life changed from there. She now had a family of her own, a _real_ family. That was enough to make her happy.

* * *

**_Present-Day_ **

Daisy sat up in her bed, panting in a cold sweat. She looked around her room, as if making sure she was still where she was supposed to be.

Taking a deep breath of relief, Daisy reached her phone to check the time. It was just past four in the morning.

Sighing, Daisy stood from her bed, yawning as she walked toward her bedroom door, opening it as quietly as possible so as not to wake her roommates. She entered the kitchen, grabbing a cup from the cabinet and walking over to the sink to fill it with water before seating herself at the kitchen table and taking a few sips as she scrolled through her phone.

She'd been awoken by a nightmare from her past. It made her remember so many dark things from her childhood...

"What are you doing up?" came a soft, groggy voice. Daisy looked up to see not just Jemma, but also Fitz standing in the doorway.

 _Stupid light sleepers,_ Daisy thought to herself.

Daisy yawned. "Couldn't sleep," she told them.

Eyeing each other, the couple approached their friend, Jemma grabbing her arm and standing her from the dining chair, putting her hands on her shoulders. "Tell me what woke you up."

Daisy plastered on a smile. "It was nothing, really."

Jemma tilted her head, unconvinced. "I doubt that."

Daisy sighed, giving in. "I had a nightmare, that's all."

Jemma dropped her hands to her sides and laced her hand with Daisy's. She began to lead her toward the hallway. "Come on, tell me about it," she said as she pulled Daisy into her bedroom.

Daisy climbed into her bed, hugging her pillow as she watched Jemma sit next to her, Fitz on the opposite side.

"What did you dream about?" Fitz asked gently.

Daisy bit her lip. "I- " She sighed. "It was a flashback, I guess."

"From when?" Jemma asked.

"My last foster family."

"What happened?" Fitz inquired.

Daisy sighed deeply. "They were my favorite ever foster family, the Reynolds. I was sixteen, they had a daughter I became best friends with and..."

"And what?" Jemma asked gently as she patted Daisy's arm.

Daisy sighed again, closing her eyes as she remembered. "The dad, Dave, he...he told me they were going to adopt me soon, and not half an hour later we got into a car crash."

The room stilled.

"Dave didn't make it. He saved my life and..." Her voice broke as a tear escaped her eye. A moment later, she swallowed. "The mom had to give me back to the system because I reminded her too much of her husband. She left me college money but...I never had another family again." She looked up at Jemma, then turned to look at Fitz. "Until you all came into my life."

Jemma smiled, putting an arm around Daisy and putting her head on her shoulder, pulling her into a side-hug. "We love you, Daisy. That's horribly traumatic, and I'm so sorry it happened, but we're always here for you. We love you."

Fitz took Daisy's hand in his own, looking at her with eyes full of brotherly love. "We care about you more than you know, Daisy."

Nodding, Daisy smiled a weak smile as she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "I love you all..." she said as her voice broke, more tears coming out.

"Hey, hey, shh, it's okay," Jemma whispered gently as she wiped the tears from Daisy's cheeks with her own sweatshirt sleeve. "We love you _so_ much, Daisy."

Daisy nodded, closing her eyes as she let the tears keep coming. Jemma kept an arm around her that whole night, and Fitz stayed in her room, eventually moving to the windowsill because the girls were taking up the whole bed.

They might not be blood-related, but they were a family. As much of a family as Daisy would ever get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it! Comment for what you might like to see next. I was thinking of either a sickfic or another fun adventure, but let me know!


	4. Cold(s)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the fall now and sickness is ever-so-present. What happens when it hits our beloved Bus Kids?

It all started with the sniffles. Jemma was examining a little boy who'd cut his lip when she had to excuse herself from the exam room for a moment to blow her nose.

Jemma was confused. She _never_ got sick. The last time she had an illness was when she was a teenager, when she came down with the flu. Since then, she hadn't had so much as the common cold.

Washing her hands, Dr. Simmons reentered her exam room and finished up with her patient, apologizing to the boy's mother for her temporary absence. The woman was fine with it but Jemma remained confused.

That evening as she drove home, her nose started running. Groaning in frustration, once she hit a stoplight, she took a tissue out of her purse and wiped her nose, mumbling a few curse words under her breath. Jemma hated to miss work and she prayed that she wasn't coming down with something worse.

* * *

When he got home and saw Jemma lying on the couch, Fitz immediately knew something was wrong with her. Setting his briefcase on the kitchen table, he walked over to his fiancée, seating himself on the couch by her feet. He patted her leg.

"What's up, love?" he asked her. He noticed the empty cup of tea on the coffee table, the thermometer on the lamp table, and a pile of used tissues on the floor. Jemma's nose was red and her eyes were partially closed. "You don't look so good."

Jemma groaned and pulled the afghan over her shoulders, sniffing. "I think I have a cold."

Fitz chuckled, grabbing a tissue from the box and leaning forward to gently and lovingly wipe her nose for her. He planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "What was your temperature, baby?" he whispered.

"One-oh-one," Jemma mumbled, shivering a bit as she leaned away from Fitz to sneeze.

"Sorry, baby," Fitz whispered soothingly as he stroked her head. "I'll text Daisy to pick you up some medicine on her way home from work."

Swallowing, Jemma nodded, feeling too ill to protest. Once her eyes were closed, Fitz smiled sympathetically at the love of his life before tucking the blanket around her and fluffing her pillows. He cleaned up the tissues and brought her teacup to the kitchen sink, rinsing it out and setting it in the dishwasher. He washed his own hands before going into his bedroom to get changed into his comfy clothes. He texted Daisy to ask her to pick up some cold medicine from the pharmacy and just as he was washing his face, he heard the creaking of someone walking across the floors outside. Knowing it was too early for Daisy to be home already, he furrowed his brow, leaving his bathroom then his bedroom. He put his hands on his hips upon seeing Jemma standing in the hallway, her shoulders hunched and the blanket wrapped around her, dragging behind her on the floor like a fancy wedding dress.

"What are you doing?!" Fitz asked her, scowling.

"Notes. Have to do notes," Jemma slurred, trying to find her way to the kitchen. "Have work tomorrow. Have to c-catch up..."

"Jem, get back to the couch," he instructed, putting a hand on her shoulder to turn her back toward the living room.

"Can't get b-behind..." she mumbled.

"You're not going into work tomorrow, love," Fitz told her gently. They made their way to the living room and he laid her back on the couch, rearranging the pillows and blanket. He planted a kiss on the crown of her head. "Sleep, baby. You need rest."

"Mmmph," Jemma muttered, her eyes closing.

* * *

Fitz was organizing the junk drawer when he heard the back door open. Daisy strode inside, a plastic takeout bag strung on one arm and a drugstore bag on the other. Setting them on the counter, she smiled. "How's Jemma?"

Fitz sighed, setting a pair of scissors in its tray. "Sleeping. She thinks she's going to go into work tomorrow."

"From what you told me, I don't think that's a wise idea," Daisy said as she sorted through the contents of the drugstore bag. Pulling out a box of cold medication, she tossed it to Fitz. "Is that the right stuff?"

Fitz inspected the box, taking out the medicine bottle and inspecting it. He nodded. "Yep. Thanks, Dais."

"No problem," she said as she started fiddling with the other things she'd picked up from the store.

Fitz took the medicine, taking out two pills and grabbing a water glass before heading into the living room to gently awake his fiancée.

"Hmmph," Jemma mumbled as her eyes fluttered open. Smiling at her, Fitz held out his palm. Jemma looked from his face down to his hand, lifting a weak hand of her own to pick up the pills. She popped them in her mouth and took the water glass, washing the medicine down her throat. She winced at the pain; her throat was sore.

"I think Daisy brought us dinner," Fitz whispered to her, rubbing her leg from under the blanket.

"I did!" Daisy shouted from the kitchen. "I got sandwiches, nice and easy on your stomach."

Jemma groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"What's wrong, baby?" Fitz asked, putting his hand behind her head and rubbing her neck with his thumb.

"Everything is achy and my throat hurts. I don't wanna eat." She rubbed her eyes and coughed into her blanket, shaking her head in dismay.

"I'm so sorry, baby," Fitz consoled, continuing to rub her neck. "How about some broth? Would that be okay?"

Jemma nodded and closed her eyes as Fitz withdrew his hand from her neck, standing from the couch and heading back into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he took out the carton of chicken broth and set it on the counter. He opened the cabinet and took out a pot, setting it on the stove and turning the stove on. He unscrewed the cap of the carton and poured the liquid broth into the pot, watching it warm up for a moment before stirring it then setting the pot's lid on it.

Daisy set two plates on the kitchen table, each with their own sandwich. She put the third one in the fridge in case Jemma wanted hers later.

"Your broth is ready, Jem," Fitz said quietly as he brought the warm bowl into the living room. Jemma tried to sit up but needed Fitz's help. She wanted to feed herself but Fitz insisted he help her. Jemma was just grateful she had a fiancé to do so.

* * *

Later that evening as Daisy was working, Jemma was asleep in her and Fitz's bedroom, and Fitz was watching TV in the living room, they heard someone knock on the door. Daisy shut her laptop and got up, walking toward the front door and opening it. She smiled at who was standing outside.

"Fitz told us about Jemma," Elena said. She smiled, handing Daisy a warm cup with a lid on it. "That's mi tia's famous soup. It always made me get better faster when I was sick."

"That's so kind, Elena, thank you," Daisy said with a smile, tucking the cup into her elbow and grinning up at Mack. "How are you all?"

Mack sighed. "Work's tough while we're trying to cram everything in before the holidays." Daisy nodded, understanding.

Elena smiled. "But my new job is going well. I'm so glad we decided to move here year-round. My boss loves me."

Mack scowled, looking down at his girlfriend. "Hopefully not _too_ much," he said with a twinge of jealously.

Elena and Daisy chuckled. "No, of course not," the woman assured her boyfriend.

"Well, thank you all. Fitz and I will take good care of Jemma," Daisy said.

"Denada. Be careful; try not to catch it from her," Elena said.

Daisy smiled. "I'll try my hardest."

Nodding in satisfaction, Elena smiled and waved goodbye as Daisy closed the door.

"Who was it?" Fitz shouted to her from the living room.

Daisy popped the soup in the fridge. "Mack and Elena!" she replied, closing the fridge. "Elena brought some soup for Jem."

"That's nice of her!" Fitz said, loud enough for Daisy to hear.

"Yep," Daisy said. She yawned, feeling her sore throat for the first time. Her eyes widened and she muttered a curse word under her breath before gulping down as much water as possible. "Crap," she muttered. "I can't get sick too..."

She groaned in frustration as she got ready for bed. Fitz was the one who was mainly taking care of Jemma; how could Daisy catch it and not him?!

* * *

The next morning when Jemma woke up, she felt a lot better than the night before. She tried to get ready for work but of course, Fitz stopped her. "You still need rest," he told her.

Jemma rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"You're calling in sick today, and if you don't, I will _for_ you," he scolded.

"Fine!" Jemma exclaimed, a little harsh. But she had to get her point across.

Satisfied, Fitz left their bedroom to make her some breakfast. He came across Daisy standing by the medicine cabinet, fumbling around with all the bottles, trying to find the right one. When she turned around and saw him, her eyes widened like she'd been caught robbing the place. Dark circles were under her eyes and she wore sweats, a hoodie, and a winter hat over her hair, presumably to cover up her bedhead.

"Whatcha doing there?" he asked.

"Nothing," Daisy mumbled, moving past him, carrying as many medicine bottles as she could in her small arms.

"Dais," Fitz said, grabbing her upper arm, making her stop and turn around. "You're pale and you're dressed like you just came from the arctic."

"Am I?" Daisy asked, pushing past him and making her way to her bedroom.

Shrugging it off because he had a job to do, Fitz decided to just make breakfast for Daisy, too. When he was done, he walked into his own bedroom, setting the drink tray holding Jemma's breakfast plate on the bedside table. Jemma was watching TV so he planted a kiss on her temple before heading toward Daisy's bedroom and knocking on her door.

The door was cracked open a sliver, so he pushed it in to find the girl curled up on the chair in her bedroom, staring intently at the pill bottle in her shaky hands. The sweatshirt sleeves extended past her fingers and the hood was pulled up over her beanie. Fuzzy socks covered her feet.

"Dais, what's going on with you?" Fitz asked, setting her breakfast tray on her dresser.

"I feel a bit sick," Daisy replied, still studying the bottle.

Fitz approached her and took the pill bottle from her hands, noticing it was the cold medicine she'd bought the night before. He looked from the bottle to her. "Uh, you're supposed to take two, if that's what you're- "

"Two?!" Daisy asked, her eyes widening.

"Yeah..." He narrowed his eyes. "How many did you- "

"Like, five..." Daisy replied, biting her lip.

"Daisy!"

"I was desperate to get better! I need to work..."

Fitz chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest and looking her up and down. "Not when you took five of these. You'll be out for hours."

"Crap," Daisy mumbled, burying her face in between her knees in frustration. "How did I catch it?" she asked, muffled.

Fitz shrugged. "Could be from Jemma, could be from someone from work."

Daisy groaned as Fitz left. "Oh, and I left you breakfast!" he shouted from the kitchen as he gathered his keys for work.

When she finished breakfast, Daisy started to get really drowsy, so she quickly called in sick before she climbed into bed. She didn't emerge until mid-afternoon.

* * *

Jemma was bored out of her mind. Her TV and her phone and laptop eventually got boring so she roamed around the house, looking for things to do. She cleaned out the fridge, organizing it and eating her sandwich from last night in the process. While she was wiping the counters, she looked out the window to see Daisy's car still in the driveway. Furrowing her brow in confusion, she wondered why Daisy hadn't gone to work. She blew her nose before washing her hands then heading to Daisy's room. Believe it or not, she found her sound asleep in her bed. She eyed the medicine bottle by her bedside table and understood right away.

Jemma felt guilty for getting Daisy sick but she was glad Fitz was able to convince her to stay home. In need of the cold medicine herself, she quietly tried to tip-toe toward her bedside and grab the bottle.

She heard Daisy gasp and the next thing she felt was a sharp punch to her stomach. Grunting and grabbing her sore torso, Jemma backed away, disoriented. "Daisy, what..." she mumbled.

"Ah, crap, I'm so sorry, Jem!" Daisy exclaimed as she tried to get out of bed, succeeding only in stumbling backward onto the bed. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before sitting back up.

"It's okay..." Jemma mumbled. "Sorry I startled you. And I'm sorry to see you're sick."

"It's okay. We can be sick together. But you coulda' just woken me up," Daisy muttered, scratching her head. She slid her arms out of her sleeves, hugging them to her body underneath the sweatshirt.

"Are you cold?" Jemma asked as she took two pills out of the bottle.

Daisy narrowed her eyes as Jemma made eye contact with her. "Do I look hot?"

Jemma chuckled. "Not in _that_ outfit you don't."

"Not what I meant," Daisy mumbled as she huffed to herself. Suddenly a wave of heat flooded her body. She frantically ripped the sweatshirt off herself, over her head, tangling her hair up even more than it was before. She was left in a tank top, and she started to rub her arms briskly. "Now I'm cold," she muttered, groaning in frustration. She slammed her face into her pillow and started screaming into it like it was those dumb interns or even Mr. Burrows.

Jemma smirked, shaking her head in disbelief as she started toward her bedroom door. She turned around, a thought popping into her head. "I took a cold shower this morning and it really helped," she told her.

"How can a _cold_ shower help when I am indeed feeling _cold_?" Daisy mumbled, muffled by the pillow her face was buried in.

Jemma chuckled quietly, shutting Daisy's bedroom door for her before heading back to her own bedroom to watch TV some more.

* * *

An hour later, Jemma's movie was interrupted by a figure entering her room unannounced, an entire comforter wrapped around her body. Her hair was wet and her face looked like she was a zombie.

"What..." Jemma started as her eyes followed Daisy, who was walking around to Fitz's side of the bed.

"Cold. Need body heat," she mumbled as she turned around and plopped herself down, wiggling around for a solid minute before she was comfortable.

Jemma gaped for a second but couldn't help but smile. Daisy was really funny when she was sick. The younger girl pushed herself toward Jemma more, eventually laying her head on the older girl's shoulder. Smiling, Jemma wrapped her arm around Daisy's shoulder, hugging her close.

"I'm sorry you're cold," Jemma said. "I guess your cold shower didn't help."

"Mmm," Daisy mumbled. She wasn't paying much attention to Jemma; she was now too infatuated on the movie playing on the screen. Jemma brought the back of her hand to Daisy's forehead and felt it. "Dais, love, you're burning up."

Daisy finally turned away from the screen to look at her best friend. She narrowed her eyes, pulling an arm out from the masses of blankets and reaching up to feel Jemma's forehead. She shoved her arm back down into her blankets and shifted her weight, looking back at the screen. "So are you."

Shrugging, Jemma leaned back and continued watching the movie. Daisy was making her overheat but she knew the younger girl needed her. Once the movie was over, Jemma stood from the bed, having to take a second to gather her dizzy self's bearings before picking up her phone and checking the time. Daisy whined upon the loss of contact.

"Fitz should be home soon," Jemma declared, setting her phone back down before picking up the thermometer, climbing back onto her bed and swiping it across Daisy's forehead.

"What is it?" Daisy mumbled.

"Just over one hundred," she replied, heaving a sigh of relief. She checked her own and came back with a similar reading.

"'M hungry," Daisy said. She tried to get out of bed but instead flopped like a penguin onto the floor. Furrowing her brow in confusion as Jemma chuckled, Daisy wiggled her way to her feet, a miracle considering she had a whole bedspread wrapped around herself. "'M gonna go heat up Elena's soup."

"Let Fitz do that when he gets home," Jemma said, hopping back into bed and scrolling through her phone.

"But I'm _hungry_!" Daisy pouted.

Jemma just rolled her eyes, making Daisy huff angrily and storm out of Jemma's room, heading to her own. She wanted to look at her phone but she felt so sick she just decided to lay on her now-stripped bed, staring off into the distance until Fitz got home.

* * *

When he walked into the house, Fitz was met with two sick women wrapped in blankets, giving him the death stare as they stood in the kitchen.

"Uh..." he said, his mouth open, unsure of what to do. "What?!"

"Make us soup," Jemma told him. It wasn't a request.

Furrowing his brow, Fitz raised his hands, nodding. "Okay, okay, I will. Just...chill. Go sit on the couch or something. I'll be ready in a bit."

Jemma seemed satisfied enough and headed toward the living room, plopping on the easy chair. Daisy followed her, curling up on the couch.

Once Fitz had heated up Elena's soup, he ladled it into two bowls and called the girls over.

Daisy was barely able to keep her head upright as she ate her dinner. But she was hungry and she managed to make it through the meal. When she finished, she stumbled her way back to her bedroom and passed right back out. Jemma thanked her fiancé before heading to their bedroom to do the same.

* * *

The next morning, both women felt a lot better, good enough to go back to work. Jemma left first, taking her own car and picking up breakfast in a drive-thru on the way to the clinic. Just as Daisy was about to leave, she noticed Fitz's car.

"Fitz? You taking the car today?" she shouted.

No response.

Confused, Daisy headed toward his bedroom. She knocked. "Fitz? You okay?"

"Hmmph," was the response. Daisy pushed the door open and poked her head in. She smiled goofily upon seeing him in bed, dressed in his biggest oversized sweater and a winter hat with a pom-pom.

"You sick?"

A nod.

Daisy chuckled. "I knew you were bound to catch it."

"Mmph."

Daisy got the thermometer, some water, and the cold medicine and set it on Fitz's bedside table, gently patting the pom-pom on his head. "Good luck today. I'll call your boss for you."

Nodding, Fitz yawned as Daisy left his bedroom, gently shutting the door behind her.

It had been one hell of a few days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Please comment with suggestions/requests ;)


	5. Lovestruck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's girls' weekend and Jemma and Daisy are having fun until something goes wrong. Or does it go terribly right??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you all think of the finale? :'(

"Bye, babe, I love you," FItz said as he planted a gentle kiss on his fiancée's lips.

Pulling away and smiling, Jemma gently caressed Fitz's arm. "Love you. Stay safe, honey."

Nodding and smiling, Fitz bent down to pick up his suitcase and briefcase. "I will." He smiled and waved one more time before exiting the house and heading to his car.

Fitz was going on a business trip to the Engineers Convention in California. Jemma and Daisy were left alone for a (they hoped) fun-filled girls' weekend.

It being February, there weren't many outdoor activities to be done, so the girls decided to go to the mall on Saturday. As usual, as soon as they entered the shopping center, Daisy complained of being hungry. They decided to go have lunch first.

Once settled at a sticky table in the crowded food court, Daisy happily ate her cinnamon sugar-coated pretzel while Jemma sipped a lemonade.

"How's work?" Daisy asked Jemma.

"Yesterday I was extra busy. I guess the snowdrift on fifth street caused a lot of minor injuries," she said.

Nodding as she swallowed, Daisy smiled. "I'm glad you got today off."

Jemma smiled and patted her friend's hand. "Me, too." A few seconds passed. "Oh, and I got a new resident on Wednesday."

Daisy raised her eyebrows. "Who?"

"His name is Dr. Campbell. He's so smart...I haven't mentored a resident like that, like, ever."

Daisy narrowed her eyes. "You were just a resident yourself like, last year..." She wiped her hand on a napkin.

Jemma chuckled and shrugged. "Yes, but this guy has got some skills. I hope he stays at our office when he finishes residency."

Daisy smirked. "Do you _like_ this Doctor Campbell?" She raised her eyebrows suggestively.

The older girl tutted. " _Daisy_. I am _engaged_. _Hap_ pily."

Daisy just chuckled maniacally, standing from the little table and heading to the garbage can to throw away her trash.

The girls went to multiple stores, Daisy buying nearly everything while Jemma remained reluctant, knowing in a few months she'd have all the wedding gifts she'd ever want, and then some. The last store they went to was American Eagle, a place neither girl liked too much, but Daisy wanted to keep her options open.

She was glad she decided to go in, because Daisy saw the most beautiful black leather jacket, in her size, too! Smiling, she headed toward the rack it was resting on but before she could get there, she tripped over something and felt a pulling pain in her ankle as she tumbled to the ground, landing on her shoulder.

"Daisy!" came Jemma's voice as she dropped her shopping bags on the floor, rushing to her best friend's side, squatting down on the floor.

Daisy rolled onto her back, smiling goofily. "Whoops," she said.

Heaving a sigh of relief when she saw she was okay, Jemma stood, reaching a hand down to help Daisy up. Daisy thought she was fine until she put weight on her right foot, hissing in pain.

Jemma knitted her eyebrows when Daisy scowled. "You alright?" she asked.

Swallowing, Daisy nodded as she looked down at her own foot. "I think so." She laughed. "I'm such a clutz."

Jemma smirked. "Come on," she said, taking Daisy's arm as she bent down to pick up their bags. "Let's go home and get you some ice."

It was quite the sight as Daisy tried to hobble through the mall with Jemma's help. She _could_ walk but it caused her a lot of pain, plus Jemma was quite the mother sometimes and insisted she help out.

Once they got home, Daisy tried to walk to her bedroom but Jemma forced her to sit down at the couch while she prepared an ice pack.

Groaning, Daisy leaned back as Jemma returned, setting the bag of ice on the coffee table.

"Let me see," she said, all serious.

"Why are you so worried about this?" Daisy quipped with a chuckle. She winced as Jemma took her shoe off for her, then her sock. Daisy leaned down to roll up her leggings.

Jemma gasped at the sight of the purple and blue bruising covering her friend's ankle. She furrowed her brow as she picked up the ice pack, setting it on Daisy's ankle as the other girl winced. "How did a clothes rack possibly do this to you?!"

"I'm suing American Eagle," Daisy mumbled, gripping her also-sore shoulder.

Jemma sighed, standing from the table and seating herself on the couch next to Daisy, turning on the cooking channel. At some point, they ended up holding hands, Jemma rubbing little circles on Daisy's palm. She knew Daisy was embarrassed with herself for getting so hurt after such a little experience and she wanted to make her feel as comfortable as possible.

At some point, it started to be dinnertime and Daisy got hungry. Yawning, Jemma stood from the couch and insisted she cook dinner. Daisy reluctantly agreed and smiled when Jemma brought her her laptop so she could work.

"Just don't put weight on your foot," Jemma instructed. Daisy rolled her eyes but agreed.

After a while, Daisy hissed at the heat seemingly scorching her thighs as she typed on her laptop. She lifted the computer from her legs, looking under it then sighing.

"The fan's out," she whispered, annoyed. Groaning but not wanting to disturb Jemma, she stood from the couch, trying not to put weight on her bad foot. She wasn't too successful, as at some point she had to use her right foot. Carrying her laptop, Daisy tried her best not to wince as she made her way to the garage, hoping to grab one of Fitz's engineering project tools to fix the issue with her computer.

Miraculously, she made it to the garage, opening the cabinets and searching for the right materials. A few minutes later, the tech-savvy girl had managed to fix her laptop. Smug and proud of herself, Daisy almost forgot about her foot as she strode inside, her head held high. Almost.

As she walked through the hallway, she tripped over nothing and hissed as her bad ankle twisted the wrong way. She hugged her precious computer to her chest as she rolled onto the floor. Luckily, the computer stayed in one piece. The girl, not so much.

As she put the peas in the microwave, Jemma heard a wince and a cry of pain coming from the hallway. Scowling, she rushed straight toward the noise and gasped when she saw Daisy curled onto the floor, hugging her laptop to her chest, her face scrunched up in pain.

"Daisy!" she said frantically as she bent down next to her, putting a hand on her back as she tried to coax her out of whatever pain-daze she was in.

Groaning, Daisy extended her arms to set the laptop on the floor. She wiggled around a bit before grabbing her ankle, hissing in pain. "I think I- " she began.

"You made it worse," Jemma finished for her, disappointed as she inspected her injured ankle. Jemma shook her head, tutting. " _Daisy_ ," she scolded.

"I'm _sorry_ ," Daisy groaned, pushing herself to sit up. Jemma wrapped her arm around her side, trying her best to hoist the taller girl to her feet. Well, _foot_.

Daisy bit her lip to keep from crying out. Concerned, Jemma shook her head in disappointment. "I'm driving you to my office right after dinner."

"Jem- "

"No, Daisy. You may have just made your sprain or even your fracture worse. I can't risk- "

"Tomorrow morning. If it's not better."

"Dais- "

" _Please_."

A deep sigh. A moment of hesitation. " _Fine_."

Daisy let out a sigh of relief and nodded, allowing her friend to help her to the kitchen so they could eat dinner.

As she was eating dinner, Daisy suddenly lost her appetite. The throbbing pain in her ankle made it hard to focus on her breathing and it was making her extremely uncomfortable.

Jemma noticed this. "Daisy, you alright?" she asked, concern laced deeply into her expression. She put her hand on Daisy's. "You're a little pale."

Daisy tried to take a deep breath but wasn't as successful as she'd hoped. Wordlessly, she tried to stand from the dinner table, but of course, being the loyal friend she was, Jemma rushed to her side.

"I think I'm just going to lie down..." Daisy mumbled to her friend.

Furrowing her brow, Jemma gripped Daisy's arm and forced the girl to make eye contact with her. "Daisy. I'm driving you to my office right now. It's still open for a few hours and there's no way you'll be able to sleep in this much pain."

Daisy nodded, too exhausted to protest, and allowed her friend to help her to the car. They didn't say much on the way; Jemma felt too bad for Daisy and Daisy felt too bad for worrying Jemma.

Once they got there, the waiting room was pretty much empty, not that it mattered because Jemma was able to sneak Daisy in, her being an employee and all. She led her to an exam room, and Daisy rolled her eyes as she sat on the table, waiting.

"Why can't you just treat me?" she mumbled.

"Conflict of interest. Someone who lives with you can't just...determine these things. It's...frowned upon."

"Frowned upon my a..." Daisy's jaw dropped when the exam room door opened, revealing a tall, lean, blond man clad in a (must she admit, very sexy) starched-white lab coat. A smile was on his pearly-white teeth, and he balanced a laptop on his palm like nothing else. Daisy could've sworn she saw little emoji hearts popping up in her line of sight as she stared at this... _hot_...doctor.

"Daisy, this is Dr. Campbell," Jemma says, introducing her resident. Daisy had to take a second to snap out of her love-daze before closing her mouth, nodding and smiling at him.

"Hi, Lincoln," she said. Oops.

The man chuckled as he set his laptop on the counter. "Oh, we're on a first-name basis now?"

Daisy's heart fluttered in her chest. " _Yes_ ," she said, meaning to say it in her mind. Double oops.

Laughing to himself again, Lincoln hand-sanitized before walking toward the exam table, smirking when Daisy frantically scurried to push herself back so her foot was just perfectly arranged on the table. She didn't want to make his job any harder.

"So, what happened, exactly?" he asked.

Daisy bit her lip. "Fell. I fell- "

"She tripped over a clothes rack at the mall, twisting her ankle, " Jemma completed for her friend, picking up on her lovestruck mood.

Lincoln nodded in understanding, a tiny smile appearing on his face.

"I thought she'd be fine, but then she fell again and re-twisted it. I think she needs an x-ray," Jemma continued.

"Right," Lincoln said, squinting as he gently rolled up Daisy's pant leg a bit, examining her ankle. Daisy could hardly focus; everything blurred. The hot doctor was touching her. Sure, it might be her ankle, but it was _something_.

Lincoln clicked his tongue. "Yeah, an x-ray would be wise. I'm worried it's a break," he said.

"Oh, and I think she hurt her shoulder as well," Jemma added. Daisy shot her a look like she'd just told Lincoln her biggest secret.

Lincoln furrowed his brow. "Which one?"

"My r-right one- " Daisy mumbled, unable to focus. God, she was like a teenager.

Lincoln nodded, stepping forward. He looked up at Daisy, making eye contact. He motioned to her shoulder. "May I?"

Daisy swallowed and nodded, maybe a little _too_ eagerly. Daisy felt her heart flutter as he pulled her shirt collar a little off her shoulder, looking at it. "Ah, it seems fine," he said, walking back to his laptop to record the information. "I'd keep some ice on it and take some ibuprofen, but you'll be doing that anyway for your ankle." He picked the little device back up, putting his hand on the doorknob. "A nurse will be in soon to prep you and bring you to the x-ray room. I'll see you after I've reviewed the results." He nodded at Jemma, smiling. "And maybe get a second opinion."

Jemma chuckled. "Of course. Thank you, Dr. Campbell."

"Th- Thank- " Daisy sputtered. Smiling again, Lincoln took the cue to exit the exam room.

As soon as Lincoln was gone, Daisy let out a breath she'd been holding in the entire time. "He- " she began.

"Oh, _please_ ," Jemma said, letting out a laugh she, too, had been holding in. "You have got the _hots_ for him."

"How old is he?" Daisy asked.

"Uh, twenty-six? Seven? Eight?"

Daisy nodded vigorously. "Okay, okay, _yes_."

Jemma smiled and playfully poked Daisy's good shoulder. "What a child."

Daisy didn't care how much fun Jemma and Fitz would poke at her for this; she loved this Lincoln boy and she was _sure_ of it.

"I can give you his number," Jemma said nonchalantly a moment later.

Daisy's eyes widened and she spun around to meet her best friend's gaze. "You have it?!" Her eyes bugged out.

Jemma smiled and nodded, taking Daisy's phone (she'd carried it for her in her own purse) and entering his number, then handing her phone to her. "There. Dr. Lincoln 'Hottie' Campbell is now in your contacts."

"He's seen my bra strap," Daisy said, almost too quickly to be intelligible.

Jemma's eyes widened and she had to suppress an immediate laugh. "Dais- "

"Wow." Daisy let out a deep sigh, her chest heaving. "I- " She bit her lip, nodding as if confirming something in her own head. "I should ask him out."

Jemma smiled, happy for her friend. She'd finally found love.

**_TO BE CONTINUED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment for what you want next!! :D

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know in the comments if you want more on this series, and if you want some more adventures with these three :) If so, give me suggestions for what you want to see next!


End file.
